Licensed V.I. taxi drivers will be able to lend their taxis to anyone with a valid V.I. drivers’ license and use them as private vehicles, so long as they are "off duty," if a bill sent on Monday to the V.I. Legislature floor for a final vote becomes law.
Several senators said they supported the measure, but wanted more controls to ensure those who are lent the taxis do not pick up fares and act as unlicensed taxi drivers.
"I am adamantly opposed, if somebody has a Safari (open air taxi), and telling them, this is their only family transportation and they cannot use it to go to the store," Sen. Carlton "Ital" Dowe said. "But we need to strike a balance," Dowe said, saying he wants an amendment stating whoever owns the taxi medallion for the vehicle in question will take full responsibility for anything that happens.
Sen. Usie Richards raised similar concerns and offered an amendment to make the medallion owner liable in the event of an accident.
Bill sponsor Sen. Alicia "Chucky" Hansen objected, and the amendment was adopted with Hansen voting nay.
The Rules and Judiciary Committee sent the bill letting taxi owners drive and lend their vehicles for personal use on for a final vote on the floor of the Legislature, with Hansen, Dowe, Richards, Sens. Ronald Russell, Sammuel Sanes and Patrick Sprauve voting yea. Sen. Celestino White was absent.
Rules also sent on a bill to expand the monitoring of sex offenders, bringing the territory in line with federal standards and by leveling the field, ensuring the territory is not a haven for people who sexually abuse children. A federal act in 2006 required all state and territory laws to be updated to new standards by July 2011 and the territory is losing about $200,000 of certain grant funds because it has not made the changes yet, Attorney General Vincent Frazer testified during committee hearings.
The bill expands the definitions in the local statutes and establishes a tiered system for registrants.
Before international travel, a registered offender must appear in person before the attorney general and provide information about their travel plans.
Russell offered an amendment to allow the attorney general the leeway to reduce that time frame at his or her discretion. The bill then passed without opposition.
The committee also sent on bills to allow physicians’ assistants with the proper training and licensing to write prescriptions and for optometrists to apply therapeutic and diagnostic eye drops and ointments, noninvasively treating pinkeye and other minor problems.
And it approved a bill to bring V.I. apprenticeship programs into line with federal grant requirements.
